Antenna mounting means



Nov. 29, 1960 2,962,248

5- H. E. ERTEL ETAL ANTENNA MOUNTING MEANS Filed May 18, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS EDWIN H.E. ERTEL AND HERBERT GUTKNECHT BY 62mm39 ATTORNEYS Ndv. 29, 1 0 H. E. ERTEL ETAL 2,962,248

ANTENNA MOUNTING MEANS Filed May 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG DAM-AMINVENTORS EDWIN H.E.ERTEL AND HERBERT GUTKNECHT BY a mq 511w ATTORNEYSUnited States Patet ANTENNA MOUNTING MEANS Edwin H. E. Ertel and HerbertGutknecht, Milwaukee,

Wis., assignors to Gutert Quality Products, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin Filed May 18, 1959, Ser. No. 813,764

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-45) This invention relates to antenna mounting meansadapted for use on mobile homes, trailers, and the like.

Various UHFVHF antenna mounting means are available for use on mobilehomes whereby the antenna mast is mounted on the side of the mobilehome, and is rotated by means of a bevel gear drive operated from withinthe trailer. A primary shortcoming of present antenna mounting means isthe size or the mount housing which extends beyond the side wall of thetrailer. Where such an antenna mount is permanently secured to a sidewall of the trailer, the total trailer width may well becomeprohibitive, insofar as the state laws governing maximum allowabletrailer widths permitted on the state highways. In such cases, where thetrailer is to be transported from one location to another, the antennahousing may have to be dismantled completely, in order to comply withthe laws.

Also, when a trailer has to be moved from one location to another, noprovision is presently made for securing the antenna mast to thetrailer. The mast mounted on presently available antenna mounts wouldhave to be dismantled, which is an added inconvenience, particularly ifthe mast is of any appreciable length.

Presently available antenna mounts which use a bevel gear drive meansfor rotating the antenna necessarily relatively expensive, due to thecost of bevel gears. Gear drives have a tendency to bind if not alignedwithin quite close tolerances; and, rotation of the antenna can provequite diflicult during high winds, due to the additional lateralstresses that are created.

An object of my invention is to provide an antenna mounting means fortrailers and the like which is mounted on the roof of the trailer, androtatable from the inside of the trailer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rotatable trailer antennamounting means wherein the antenna mast may be pivotally lowered andsecured to the roof of the trailer, without requiring disassembly of theantenna mast.

Yet still another object of my invention is to provide an antennamounting means for trailers that is inexpensive to construct, andprovides a maximum of reliability over years of use.

Other objects and purposes of my invention will become apparent in theforegoing description and appended drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows the side elevation view of a trailer utilizing my antennamounting means, with the antenna mast shown in its alternate positions.

Figure 2 shows an isometric view, partially broken out, of my antennamounting means.

Figure 3 shows a sectional elevation view of a typical embodiment of myantenna mounting means shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section view taken at 44 in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a viewof a mast retaining clamp shown generally at 6 in Figure 1.

Referring to the specific figures, Figure 1 shows an antenna mast 1,with the bottom end thereof secured to my antenna mounting means 2 whichis, in turn, se-

cured to the trailer roof 3. When in the upright posi- 1 tion, theantenna mast 1 may be supported by guy wires 4, so attached to the mast1, to permit rotation thereof by use of a suitable retaining collar 5such as described in Edwards 2,583,210. The alternate trailer mastposition 1' is shown secured for transportation to a suitable retainingclamp 6. A signal cable 7 is shown leading from the antenna to thetrailer interior, and this signal cable is preferably looped so as topermit free rotation of the antenna.

Figures 2 and 3 show the bottom of the antenna mast 1, secured by pressfit or other suitable means to a pivotable member 8. The lower end ofthe pivotable member 8 has a lip 9 extending therefrom, and mating witha recess in an upper shaft mount, 10. Serving to secure pivotable member8 to upper shaft mount 10 are two pins or bolts 11, which extendsubstantially radially through the upper shaft mount 10 and the lip 9 ofpivotable member 8. Removal of either of the pins 11 permits the pivotalmember 8 (and antenna mast 1) to pivot about the pin left in place, whenthe guy wires are removed.

Upper shaft mount 10 has a longitudinal passage 12 therein, and a radialpassage adapted to receive a screw 13. The bottom of the upper shaftmount 10 is seated against a weather sealing cap 14, which has a holetherein coextensive with the longitudinal passage 12. Weather sealingcap 14 protects a thrust bearing 15 from the weather and the elements.Thrust bearing 15 permits easy rotation of the upper shaft mount 10,pivotable member 8 and antenna mast 1. Thrust bearing 15 is supported bya lower shaft mount 16 which has a longitudinal passage therethroughcoextensive with longitudinal passage 12 of the upper shaft mount 10,the longitudinal passage also extending through the roof 3 of thetrailer. The longitudinal passage is adapted to receive a guide rod 17Guide rod 17 is freely rotatable within the lower shaft mount 16, and issecured as by set screw 13 to the upper shaft mount 10. Thus, rotationof the guide rod 17 causes the upper shaft mount 10 to rotate on thrustbearing 15. Lower shaft mount 16 is secured as by welding to a roofplate 29, which is in turn, secured to the roof 3 of the trailer, as byscrews 18.

Secured preferably to the lower shaft mount 16 is a plate 19 to whichare fixed four adjustable supporting legs 20, which are also secured toroof 3 as by screws 21. Said plate 19 is supported by a ridge 22 on thelower shaft mount 16.

Secured as by screws to the inside ceiling of the trailer is a ceilingplate, 23 through which guide rod 17 enters the inside of the trailer.Said ceiling plate 23 has a plurality of holes therein, disposed on acircle about guide rod 17, more clearly shown in Figure 4.

The lower end of guide rod 17 has a selector knob 24 slidably securedthereto, and a spring 25 disposed in compression on said guide rod 17,said guide rod 17 having a flat surface along the lower end thereof, andlimited in relative radial movement therebetween by a set screw 28.Selector knob 24 has a pin 26 extending upwardly therefrom disposed onthe selector knob 24 and on a radius equal to that of the holes in theceiling plate 23. Said ceiling plate 23 may have a pin-stop 27 on theradius of the holes, to limit the movement of the selector knob to nomore than 360.

In order to rotate the antenna mast 1, the selector knob 24 is pulleddownward, guided by the parallel surface on guide rod 17, said set screw28 permitting longitudinal movement only therebetween. This compressesspring 25, and releases pin 26 from a hole in the ceiling plate 23. Theselector knob 24 is then rotated, turn- 3 ing guide rod 17, causingupper shaft mount 10 to rotate on thrust bearing 15 to the desiredantenna position. When the desired antenna position is located, theselector knob 24 is released as the pin 26 is allowed to mate in thenearest hole in ceiling plate 23, corresponding to the desired antennaposition.

The ceiling plate 23 may have indicia thereon, as N, S, W, E, or desiredUHF/VHF channels or stations.

When the trailer is to be moved, the antenna mast 1, need not bedismantled. As previously stated, on: of the pins 11 is removed and theantenna is pivoted downward, and secured to a retaining clamp 6 which isfixed on the trailer roof 3, a typical retaining clamp being shown inFigure 5.

It is obvious that many modifications may be made of the hereindescribed antenna mounting means, without departing from the spirit ofmy invention. For instance, my antenna mounting means need not have anysupporting legs, particularly if the lower shaft mount extends throughthe roof of the trailer; and is secured directly to the ceiling plate23. Also, the lower shaft mount may be constructed of a length of pipe,with annularrings near each end thereof to limit movement of guide rod17. It is also immaterial just where below the antenna mast the thrustbearing is located; and, the upper shaft mount 10 and guide rod 17 maybe of one-piece construction.

These and other modifications may be made to my invention, which arelimited only by the following claims, in which I claim:

1. An antenna mounting structure comprising, a horizontal support, avertically extending lower mount member fixedly secured on said supportwith said lower mount member having a passage extending upwardlytherethrough, a thrust bearing mounted on the upper end of said lowermount member, a weather sealing cap mounted over said thrust bearing androtatable on said bearing relative to said lower mount member, avertically extending upper mount member seated on said cap for rotationtherewith; said bearing, cap and upper mount member having upwardlyextending passages which are coextensive with each other and with thesaid passage in said lower mount member, the passage in said upper mountmember terminating inwardly of the bottom end thereof; a recess disposedin the upper end of said upper mount member, an upwardly extendingpivotal member having a lower lip received within said recess, a mastsecured to the upper end of said pivotal member, a pair of verticallyaligned pins extending through said upper mount member and said lip withat least one of said pins being removable so that said pivotal memberand said mast may be pivoted from a vertical to a horizontal position, avertically mounted guide rod extending from beneath said support andupwardly through the support and all said passages into said upper mountmember, said guide rod being disposed for free rotation within andrelative to said lower mount member, means for securing said guide rodfor rotation with said upper mount member, a plate fixedly mountedbeneath said support and with said plate having a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed openings therein disposed about the lower endof said guide rod, a selector knob mounted for vertical movement on saidrod, means fixing said knob to said guide rod for rotation therewith,and a pin fixed to and extending upwardly from said knob and disposed ona radius such that said pin will enter one of said openings uponrotation of said knob.

2. The structure of claim 1 which includes a horizontal plate secured tothe said lower mount member adjacent the upper end thereof, a pluralityof legs joining the said support and said plate to secure said uppermount member in vertical position; means biasing the said selector knobtoward said support so that the said pin will remain in the selected oneof said openings to prevent further rotation of the said mast; and meansfor securing the upper end of said mast to said support when the mast isin a horizontal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,013,734 Boyd Jan. 2, 1912 2,263,554 Brach Nov. 25, 1941 2,667,318Sesler Jan. 26, 1954 2,706,608 Joseph Apr. 19, 1955 2,787,169 Farr etal. Apr. 2, 1957 2,869,813 Silverman Jan. 20, 1959

